Mcethodoe producing lttbricatina oils



,, D, T PATENT orrlca.

GUY- n. Har ne, or FRANKLIN, P NNSYLVANIA.

ranrnonforrnonucme LUBRIGA'IIN'G OILS.

ing a' so-called'naphthene base into a lubri eating oil that is particularly suitable, on aeeount'of itslow carbon content, for lubr1-' 1 eating internal'eombust'ion motors;

The crude petroleum for which my process has been found most suitable, has, as previously stated, a so-called naphthene base, and'the following characteristics at the time it is pumped from the well, or shortly there I after: i l I v Gravity at 60 F. 29 to 31B.-

Flash tesali l l 130 t 165. F; Fire test; 160 to 230 F, Cold test- ;;r f 251 The lubricating "oil which I'produee by said process has the following characteristics: 281103013.

Gravity at. 60 7 Flash 400 to 450%;

Firev 465 F. .J

Viscosity at 100 F; 468, (Saybolt I universal).

Cold test; 30 to 40 F.

Carbon content (SQ/1000f one per cent.

The process which I employ in the production of said lubricating oil is substantially as follows i t v When theerude petroleum is pumped from .the wells. it is placed in opentanks, and the waterwhich'is mingled with it is permitted to settle to the bottom of the tank; the foreign matter, such as silt, etc., settles out to some extent at the same time. The length of time allowed for this settling operation is variable, and depends somewhatupon the temperature, but ten'days may generally be considered sufiicient. 1 p

After beingso treated, the crude oil is passed through a filter containing a suitable Specification of Letters Patent.

HARPER, eiti- 1918. Serial No. 233,849.

filtering -medium, such as bone-black or fullers earth, and after being thus filtered the oil isplaced in a still and gradually heated, first,'preferably by means ofheat applied externally to the still; the condenser pipe leading from the still is allowed to remain open during the whole time of the application of heat: I When the temperature of the stock withinthe still reaches the point point, vaporof 190 F. or very closeto that ization begins to take place.

When the temperature of said stock has reac'hed said'poi'nt of'190' F., more or less,

Patented May 2,1922.

throughthe application of external heat,

steam is admitted to the still, and delivered thereintoat a point close to the bottom "of said still,'beneath the body ofstoek, preferably through a pipe having small perforationsextending the-full length of the still,

so that the heat is evenly applied. Through the medium 'ofsuch applied steam the temperature of the stock is, very; gradually brought to the point of 370 F., more or less,

the steam being heated to impart such ternperature thereto.

beenimpart'ed to the stockthe application of heat is graduallydiminished and finally entirely discontinued. This leaves the stock in a highlyheated condition and vaporizaa -When said-'last mention'ed temperature has tion will continue for sometime until the temperature" falls below the vaporization point. The oil remaining in the still, after vaporization ceases will be found to be approximately 70% original stock, approximately 30% having been driven off in the form of vapor distillate.- The tail-pipe to the condenser remains open. throughout the operation, thus'permitting the escape of all vapor, in order that the concentration, or

distillation, as above mentioned, maycontinue so long as there is sufiieient heat to produce a vapor, or until the residue has been removed from thestill.

After the concentrated oil has become cool it ispassed through a filter containing a suitable filtering medium, such as bone-black or fullers earth. It may be passed through the filter several times if desired, to lighten the color.

In specifying the above amount of distillate as 30% of the original stock, and the residual product as 70%, it should be understood that these quantities may vary either Way to a considerable extent, as, for illustration, when the crude is fresh from the well, the distil ate will be in excess of said 30% and the residual product, or concentrated oil a less quantity than Likewise, if the crude stock has remained for a considerable period of time in the open tanks, said variation will be in the opposite direction, and the heat applied tothe still should be regulated with proper consideration for these conditions.

This process when applied to a crude oil having a naphthene base, produces a lubricating oil having the characteristics pre viously set forth, and, inasmuch as no refining agents, such as soda, acid, etc., now so commonly employed in oil refining operations, are used, my resulting lubricating oil is wholly free from injurious ingredients, has a high viscosity, andtis markedly free from carbon, which has been found to be troublesome in cylinders of internal combustion motors.

So far as known at present, however, the amount of petrofeum produced in the United States having a so-called naphthene base, does not equal two per cent of the whole quantity of petroleum produced, and there are only two or three small areas in the United States where such petroleum is found.

Crude petroleum having the qualitiesand characteristics herein set forth, and for the refining of which the process herein set forth is suitable, is generally known as Franklin leavy oil also as first sand oil, and is pro 'el at and in the vicinity of, Franklin,

s lvania. This should not be unders .1 as meaningwhat is generally known'as T w ture to employ, but by careful and evenv firing and close attention, the temperature f he stock may be brought, by fire heat to :3 high as 350 F. before steam is c lt should be understood, and will u 'erstood by those skilled in the art of ing petroleum, to produce lubricating b t all of the various temperatures I ""011. ertcept those relating to gravity w, cannot alwaysbe attained and t,

ed w'th certainty,. in the refining "t i eum on a commercial scale, where bodies of fluid are being dealt with, and 's not absolutely essentia that they should r and re able guide to the refiner, and l produce the ion of twentyfive per cent either way, un-

, r'ernsylvania crude, as this latter crude has, 40 V e u d temperatures are set forth as a' desired results, but a varia- 2. The method of producing a lubricating w oil ready for commercial use as such which consists in selecting a crude petroleum of the grade of Franklin heavy oil and having a so-called naphthene base, driving off the lighter fractions therefrom by means of applied heat at a temperature of approximately 370 F., and then filtering the residual product to produce such lubricating oil.

3. The method of producingilubricating oil ready for commercial use as such which consists in selecting a crude petroleum of the grade, of Franklin heavy oil and having a so-called naphthene base, passing said petroleum througha suitable filteringmedium, then extracting the distillate therefrom equal to 30% of the original volume by means of applied heat, and then filtering the.

residual product to produce such lubricating oil;

4. The method of producing lubricating oil ready for commercial use as such which consists in selecting a crude petroleum of the grade of Franklin heavy oil and having a so-called naphthene base, subjecting the same when pumped from the'wells to the action of the atmosphereuntilthe water contained therein has settled, then passing the same through a filtering medium, then placing the same in a still and gradually applying heat thereto until the same has reached an approximate temperature of 370 F. during the time of applying such heat permitting the resultant vapor to escape from the still to approximately 30% of the original volume of stock, then cooling the residual product and then passing said residual product through a suitable filtering medium to produce such lubricating oil.

5. The method of producing lubricating oil ready for commercial use as such which consists in selecting crude petroleum of the grade of Franklin heavy oil and having a so-ca led naphthene base, separating the water therefrom by settling while exposed to the action of the atmosphere, then pass ing the oil through a suitable filtering medium, then placing the same in a still and subjecting it to heat gradually applied eX- ternally to the sti l until the stock has reached a temperature of approximately 190 F. and then gradually injecting steam into and adjacent to the body of the stock and continuing such injection of steam until a temperature of approximately 370 F. is reached, and simultaneously with such application of heat permitting the resulting vapor to escape from the still to the extent of approximately of the original volume of crude stock, then permitting the residual product to cool, and then passing said residual product through a suitable filtering medium to produce such lubricating oil.

6. The method of producing a lubricating oil ready for commercial use as such which consists in selecting crude petroleum of the grade of Franklin heavy oil and having a so-called naphthene base, a gravity of 29 to 31 B. at 60 F., a flash test of 130 to 165 F, a fire test of 160 to 230 F. and a cold test of approximately -2'5 F., extracting the lighter fractions therefrom by distillation through the medium of applied heat whose maximum temperature is approximately 370 until approximately 70% of the original stock remains, cooling the residual stock after such extraction and then filtering the same to produce such lubricating oil.

7 The method of producing a lubricating oil ready for commercial use as such which consists in selecting crude petroleum of the grade of Franklin heavy oil and having a so-called naphthene base, subjecting the same to the action of the atmosphere, then filtering the same, then extracting the lighter fractions therefrom to the amount of 30% of the original crude stock by process of distillation, and then cooling and filtering the residue to produce such lubricating oil.

8. The method of producing lubricating oil ready for commercial use as such which consists in selecting crude petroleum of the grade of Franklin heavy oil and having a socalled naphthene base, subjecting the same to the action of the atmosphere by exposing the same in open containers, then extracting the lighter fractions therefrom in quantity equaling approximately 30% of the original crude stock by process of distillation, and then filtering the residue, whereby a lubricating oil is produced having the following characteristics: gravity at 60 F., '29 to 31 B., flash 450 F., fire 465 F., visat 100 F. 370 (Saybolt universal),

'cosity and cold test 20 to 45 F.

In testimony whereof I afiix 1n si nature. AR'PER, 

